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PROLOGUE

This book is being written by royal decree Well, sort of

It all began on my favourite day of the year—the first of the Queen’s annual suis were in a state of high excitement

Having travelled up from Windsor with the household staff on the previous day, we had arrived too late to see the Queen, who had already retired for the evening Still closeted in a downstairs scullery when the fa, ere released just a few minutes before they were expected home

The three of us ro ourselves with favourite suntraps and hidey-holes We snuffled at the hearthrugs on which we had spentfires We poked our snouts into half-forgotten corners and raised theorse and heather—evocations of ra country walks in summers past

Winston, older than the Queen herself—albeit in dog years—headed with unusual haste towards the drawing roo discovery to date It was behind a leather wing chair in the room, five years earlier, that he had come upon an overlooked and entirely uneaten plate of lobster vol-au-vents He had devoured the snack in minutes No matter how many unrewarded return visits he ht up his grizzled features, whenever he turned in its direction

Margaret, h the corridors, ears pointed and eyes alert Her herding instincts were stronger than is and her demand for service was absolute She was especially watchful of the staff As every liveried helper in the r

oyal household was painfully aware, the slightest infraction or delay could provoke a cautioning nip to the ankles

I soon foundroom and hopped up onto the broad, tartan-cushioned sill overlooking a corner of the garden Twelve months before, that corner had been Football’s favourite spot Over the years, I had struck up a special friendship with the large, marmalade cat as a per the landscape, I could see no sign of him at present

The sound of foot towards thefros would carry us The front door was opened and from it atched as the fa to a gracious stop We scraht of steps No matter which of the cars the Queen occupied, our canine instincts always led us unerringly to it

You may very onder what it is like to find yourself in the presence of the Queen Having seen a es of her on TV and in the papers, and encountering her profile daily on banknotes, coins and postage stamps, it is only natural that you’d be curious to kno it feels to encounter one of the world’s most famous people, directly and in person

Well, hten you When you meet the Queen, she is exactly as you would expect her to be—in appearance, at least But she has another quality that catches most people by surprise A quality which no television camera can capture and which few members of the et close enough to discover You see, such is the Queen’s sense of calling that, wherever she goes, she carries with her an alible expectation that your own deepest wish, like hers, is to serve a greater purpose

To say that ht unaware by this sensation would be an understate restraint and aloofness, when they encounter Her Majesty’s gentle but fir—perhaps to their own surprise—to be the best that they can be They want to act in accord with their highest ideals I have witnessed many people who are so taken aback by this unspoken appeal to their own better natures, they are quite overcome with emotion

‘Hello, ed froaret are red and white Pembrokes, while I have the distinction of a sable-coloured saddle on my back All three of us rushed about her ankles, our tail stubs wagging frenziedly We were as delighted to feel her gloved hands patting our necks as she seemed thrilled to see us, after more than 24 hours apart

Soon the whole fa inside

‘Very nice service,’ the Queen re room

‘Kenneth always has soreed Camilla

‘Outside the church was a bit worrying,’ observed Charles ‘Howat his earlobe, he usedaphid infestation in his rose garden at Highgrove